Thai-style Braised Pork Cheeks Recipe

Directions

Adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Place cheeks in pot or braising pan. The cheeks should cover the surface of the vessel. Add enough water so that cheeks are halfway submerged. Add add soy sauce, fish sauce, rice wine, sugar, cinnamon, and chilis to pot. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce to simmer. Cover the pot with a tight-fitting lid or aluminum foil. Transfer to oven and cook until very tender, about 2 hours. De-fat the mixture, either by skimming off the liquid fat or refrigerating the meat and letting the fat solidify on the top. Remove meat from liquid and gently break into bite-sized chunks . Heat sauce in a medium saucepan and cook until reduced to about 1/3 cup. Sauce should be rich and syrupy. Return meat to sauce and heat through. Serve immediately, garnished with herbs and fried shallots. Serve with rice.